- Technology and Innovation
360 Degrees of Perfection: This Adjustable Cleat Customizes Your Sheeting Angle
The Small Detail That Defines Performance
In performance sailing, success is measured in fractions of a second, and the integrity of the hardware is paramount. Allen Sailing (Allen Brothers), leveraging over 60 years of British manufacturing expertise, is presenting a seemingly small component that embodies this philosophy: the High-Performance Swivel Cleat – Small. Nominated for the prestigious DAME Design Awards at METSTRADE 2025, this cleat is not merely a fixture; it is a meticulously engineered piece of race technology designed to guarantee precision when the stakes are highest.
360 Degrees of Perfection: Eliminating Friction
The key innovation of Allen’s cleat is its fluid operation. The core features a unique 360-degree ball-bearing base, which allows the arm to rotate frictionlessly. This simple mechanism ensures that sailors can secure and release lines effortlessly from literally any angle. This total rotational freedom is crucial during dynamic maneuvers and in congested race courses, where split-second reaction times are vital for maintaining boat speed and position.
The Wobble Killer: Enhancing Precision
For high-speed sailing—such as on the 29er and 49er Skiffs the cleat was designed for—consistency is everything. Allen solved a common industry flaw: wobble. The new base design effectively eliminates any wobble on the cleat arm, ensuring the cleating action remains precisely at the same height, time after time. This anti-wobble feature is vital for “big bare aways at high speeds,” ensuring the cleating action is precise and predictable, not reliant on guesswork.
The Race Tech Advantage: Sheeting Customization
Allen has integrated features directly derived from race conditions for maximum efficiency. The cleat includes dynamic bearing sheaves mounted onto a separate swivel base. This second swivel ensures the line is fed perfectly into the cam cleat, resulting in minimal friction and a consistent feel when trimming the jib. Furthermore, the cleat is supplied with wedges that can be easily adjusted, allowing for five different height and angle configurations. This versatility allows the owner or builder to perfectly match the cleating angle to the precise ergonomics of the sailboat’s deck layout.
The Verdict: The Final Word on Race Hardware
Allen Brothers’ appearance at METSTRADE confirms its reputation, built over 60 years, for producing innovative hardware with the highest levels of performance, quality, and durability. Every product is designed and manufactured in Essex, UK. The High-Performance Swivel Cleat is an indispensable piece of hardware. It represents the pinnacle of British engineering, offering race-derived reliability and precision to every size of sailboat.
